ISLAMABAD – The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has decided to skip Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s address to the joint session of parliament slated for next week.

The decision was made after a meeting between senior party leaders held at the residence of chairman Imran Khan in Banigala on Saturday.

Speaking to an English daily after the meeting, PTI vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the party had decided it would not attend a joint session held under a “controversial” prime minister who was facing charges of corruption.

Erdogan is scheduled to arrive in Pakistan for a two-day official visit next week. The government plans to convene a special joint sitting of parliament on Thursday so the Turkish president can address lawmakers.

Qureshi said the PTI considered Turkey a “sincere friend” of the country and a brother Islamic state. He also said the party had great respect for the Turkish president.

However, the PTI leader said his party had a clear perspective on the sub judice Panamagate case and for that PTI would skip the session